Motor for automobiles.



No. 876,769. PATENTED JAN.14, 1908.

R. RHBEOWN. MOTOR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6'1907 2 $HBETS-SHEET 1.

w w 7 Q x N R Mwmm Snow H701: jzal ji Eran m witnesses MW v mum No. 876,769. PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908.

R. R. BROWN. MOTOR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6,1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

RALPH R. BROWN, OF LIVERMORE, CALIFORNIA.

MOTOR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May 6 1907. $eria1No. 372.023.

Patented Jan. 14, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, RALPH R. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Livermore, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Motor for Automo biles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved motor for horseless vehicles and other light purposes; and the invention is constructed to provide a turbine motor of simple and im proved construction which may be readily applied to the axle of a vehicle or any other suitable position for operation.

Further objects of the invention are to simplify and improve the construct'lonand operation of this class of. devices.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood,'the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a sim le and preferred form of the invention; it eing, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the recise structural details therein exhibited, ut that changes, alterationsand modifi- "cations within 'the scope of the invention may be resorted to when desired.

In-the drawings, Figure 1 "is a top plan view showing the improved motor applied to a horseless vehicle in position for operation. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, enlarged, taken on the lane indicated by the line 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the lane indicated by the line 33 in Fig. 2. ig. 4 is a detail plan view of one of the boilers, the casing of the same being shown in section.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by li The improved motor com rises a cyhndrical hubv 1 which is secure upon a shaft or axle 2 that to -be driven;' said hub or cylinder being provided .v'ith a plurality of radially extending blades 33 of the usual turbine construction. The hub or cylinder is inclosed within a c lindrical casing4 provided at diametrically opposite sides with valve chests 5-5 in which slide .valves 6,6 are arranged for reciprocation; said valves bring provided with stems 77 that boilers is this,

e characters of reference;

extend through the end-s of the valve chests. The latter communicate through ports 8 8 with'the auxiliary valve chests 99 that extend the entire length of the cylindrical casing, and which are provided with oppositely extending slots 101G' that are directed tangentially against the bladesof the turbine which latter may be driven in opposite directions by the impact of steam or motive fluid entering the casing through the slots 10 and 10 as will be readily understood. Flexible elements 1112 are suitably connected with a stem 7 of the valve 6, said flexi ble element being suitably guided over pulleys 1314, so that by pulling upon said flexible elements the valve may be properly adjusted to open the port 8 for the passage of steam or to throttle the same, as may be required. Similar flexible elements 1112 are connected with the stem 7 of the valve 6, said flexible elements being uided over pulleys 13-14 in order that t e valve 6 may be thereby manipulated and adjusted. A steam pipe or conduit 15 connects the "valve chest 5 with the valve chest 5' as will.

be best seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings. I

Live steam is supplied to the turbine on one of a plurality of boilers 16, two of which have been shown; it being understood that any desired number of boilers may be used and that said boilers may be used simultaneously or alternately as may be desired. The principal reason for using a plurality of that if one boiler should be disabled the engine would not be put out of commission thereby. The parts of the motor have been shown as supported in position for operation upon the frame 17- of an automobile or similar vehicle; said frame also supports a water tank 18 and a tank 19 in which gasolene or other liquid fluid may be stored.

Each of the boilers comprises a rectangular casing 20 within which is arranged a pipe coil C, one end of which is connected by a duct or conduit 21 with the water tank 18, while the other end of said pipe coil is connected by a duct or conduit 22 with the valve chest 5. The pipes or conduits 23 serve to convey liquid fuel from the tank 19 to suitable burners within the casings or jackets not form a part coils of the pipe coil C are of rectangular shape, each being composed of four joints of by a sleeve or union 27.

35 stopped whenever desired.

pipe, D,- of suitable length, said joints being connected at their corners by elbows 24. Each pipe joint or length D is made up of two shorter sections 2526 connected together Underthis con-- struction, any piece or section of pipe that -may become cracked or otherwise injured may be very uickly and easily detached and a new one su stituted; all necessary repairs may thus be performed in a very short time and at a triilingexpense compared with the expense of repairing boilers of ordinary construction Where the pipe coils or spirals are of circular shape.

In the operation of this invention, steam .will ordinarily be raised in one boiler only, this being sufficient for the purpose of run ning the engine under ordinary circumstances; if extra speed is re uired, steam may be raised in several boilers iowever, in order that the requisite pressure may be supplied. The steam is conveyed from the boiler or -b0ilers to the steam chest 5 and from the latter through the conduit 15 to the valve 2 chest 5; by manipulating and properly adjusting the valves 6'6 the steam may be permitted to pass from either valve chest to the cylinder, thus causing the turbine hub to be rotated in either direction by impact 3 of the steam against the blades, as will be very readily understood; the direction of rotation being changed, when desired, by shift- 'ing the position of the valves while, by throttling both valves the engine may be Friction brakes of suitable construction may be applied to the shaft or axle 2 for the purpose of assisting in cclliecking the rotation of the latter, if desire 40 The exhaust steam discharged from the casing 4 through ports 27, from which said exhaust steam is conveyed through ducts 28 to the water tank for the purpose ofassisting in heating the feed water. By thus utilizing the exhaust steam, fuel may be economizecl, and the supply of water may be used indefinitely.

Having thus fully described the invention,

what is claimed as new is 1. In a device of the class described, a

nected with the valve stems to effect movement of the valves in opposite directions, and means for supplying motive fluid to one of the valve chests.

2. In a device of the class described, a

shaftor axle carrying a turbine, a casing inclosing the turbine, oppositely disposed valve chests connected with the casing, a conduit connecting the valve chests, slide valves in the chests, means for independently operating the valves, and means for supplying steam to one of the valve chests from a plurality of boilers.

In testimony whereof, I afl'ix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RALPH R. BROWN.

Witnesses: Y BENJ. P. BARKER, I RUBE HUNTER. 

